For the past few months, I have been coaching at the Gymnastics Training Center of Rochester. It has been incredibly rewarding coming full-circle; returning to the gym where I grew up, training and competing. Many dynamics have gone unchanged: the aesthetics & signage, the family dynamics, and even my coach, Vladimir Simakov, who patiently and graciously dealt with my shenanigans for many of my early teenage years. What amazes me are the factors that have grown since I left in 2005; the competitive guys team is much more committed, mature, and driven than I ever remember being, and it has been an honor shadowing Vladmir’s coaching throughout the 2018-2019 season.
Below is a gallery of photos from two meets this year; local meet at Stumpf’s in Buffalo, NY and the state meet at SUNY Brockport.
Note: Please click to enlarge the photos, hover for the caption descriptions, and click to advance.